Apparatus for refining oil



F. E. WELLMAN.

APPARATUS FOR REFINING OIL.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 15; I915.

Patented Apr. 6, 1920.

A TTOR/VEY FBAESTK E. WELLEIAN, Q3 KANSAS CITY, KANSAS, ASSIGNOE TO THE KANSAS CITY 'GASQLINET COMPANY, KANSAS CITY,

KANSAS, A COR?GRATION 01E KANSAS,

APPARATUS FOR REZEIINING OIL.

eander,

application filed Eeptemher 15, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that E, Fmnx WELLMAN,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Wyandotte,

- appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of 1 reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to apparatus for refining oil, and has for its object the production of a hydrocarbon mixture having a low specific gravity from a hydrocarbon mixture having relatively high specific gravity, and in accomplishing this object I utilize what is commonly known as the cracking method, whereby pressure is applied to the vapor of the compound while the vapor is at a proper temperature in order to rearrange the molecules of the vapor, and then condensing the vapor to produce the desired hydro-carbon liquid.

It is of the essence of my invention to use a low pressure still or preheater in which the oil is heated to a point just below vaporization, a pump to remove the oil therefrom,

- a cracking coil receiving the preheated oil the under pressure, and suitable receiving and condensing means outside the cracking coil by which the oil is kept under pressure while being cracked.

My invention is illustrated in the accom panying drawing in which the figure is a simplified diagram.

In the drawing 1 designates a pre-heater, comprising a tank 2, and furnace 3, the furnace being of any suitable construction, and the tank' adapted for containing'a suitable supply of distillate or other hydro-carbon mixture, which it is desired to distil in order to secure a mixture having a lower boiling point, the tank being closed and provided with a safety valve & whereby the pressure may be relieved to avoid explosion which might occur from overheating and resulting expansion of the vapors in the tank.

Located adjacent the pre-heater 1 is a second furnace 6 heated by a burner'26 and Specification of Letters Eatent,

Apr, 53, 1 12236 Serial 1G3. 50,??5.

containing a super-heater coil 7 that is connected with the lower portion of the preheater tank 2 by a conduit section 8, and located in said conduit, between the preheater and super-heater, is a pump 9, which serves to pump liquid from the bottom of the pro-heater tank and force same into the super-heater coil. coil 7 leads up through a conduit 10 to an expansion tank 11, which is preferably located in a cooling bath 12, contained Within a casing 13, the tank 11 being preferably spaced from the casing at all sides in order that the bath may completely surround the tank, in order to effectively cool the contents thereof, the casing 13 being provided with a supply pipe 14 at its upper end, and having outlets or drains 15, 15 15 arranged at different elevations in order to fix the elevation of the bath and the resultant cooling effect on th contents of the expansion tank to determine the condensation point of such contents, and the character of the condensate. In other words, the casing 13 constitutes a fractional condenser.

The expansion tank 11 is closed and provided at its upper end with an outlet con- I duit 16, which leads from the tank and The lower end of the which the condenser coil is immersed, the

outlet end of the coil leading to a receiving maintained within the tank'and coils, and which provides a safety device for relieving the pressure should it become excessive.

In order to carry off liquid which may be condensed in the conduit 10, or which has not vaporized, back to the pre-heater, I provide a return conduit 23 that opens from the conduit 10, near the lower end of the latter and leads to the bottom of the pre-heater, a valve 24: being located in the conduit 23 to prevent back flow in the direction of the super-heater. J

In using the process and apparatus, assuming the apparatus tobe constructed and assembled as described, a hydro-carbon liquid, preferably what is known as distillate which has had certain heavy fracnated, and therefore has a fairly determinate boiling point as to the remaining series, is placed in the pre-heating tank and the temperature raised to a degree just short of that required for vaporization; This hot or pre-heated liquid is then drawn off through the conduit 8 by means of the pump ,9, the compression being in the direction of the super-heating coil, so that no additional pressure is placed on the liquid in the tank 2, but on the'other hand any pressure which might accumulate therein is relieved by the pump. Pressure is, however, exerted on the the superheating coil and the conduit 10' into the expansion tank 11.

As soon as the vapors. enter the expansion tank they are cooled by the inclosing bath 12, to return part of the vapor to liquid and retain only the vapor having the desired specific gravity, it being apparent that the degree'of cooling may be regulated by means of the outlets 15, 15 15 If the elevation of the contents of the tank is limited to that of the lower outlet 15, so that water may flow out therethrough, the bath will'be shallow and the resultant cooling effect limited, whereas if the lowerconduit is closed and the upper conduit isopen, the depth of the bath and the resultant cooling effect is increased, so that the vapor in the expansion tank 'is cooled to a lower temperature and a vapor richer in hydrogen secured. v

After passing through the expansion tank, the vapor having the proper specific gravity is drawn off through the pipe 16 into the condenser 17 Where it is returned to liquid by the cooling bath in the condenser tank and delivered into the receiving tank 20, where it may accumulate or be drawn off as required. It is apparent that condensation liquid from the expansion tank 11, or any liquid which may condense in the conduit 10, will flow back through the return pipe 23 to the pre-heater for a second treatment.

' While I have mentioned pressures and temperatures, and stated that the temperature at one point of the apparatus is higher than the temperature at other points, it is apparent that as hydro-carbon compounds having different specific gravities will be treate in the apparatus, it is impossible to state any particular pressure or temperature, as the same must be varied according tothe'specific gravity of the mixture under treatment. In ordinary cases however, the temperature ofthe pre-heater will remain at or under 650 Fahrenheit, and the temperature in the super-heater will be in the neighborhood of 850, while the pressure will vary from 5 pounds and under in the preheater, to 500 to 1000 pounds in the superheater.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is:

1. The combination of a preheater,-means to heat the same to a point just below the vaporizing temperature of contained oil or distillate, means to maintain the pressure therein at a relatively low point, a superheater, a condult leading from the lower portion of the preheater to the superheater, means for heating the superheater to a relatively high temperature, a pump in said conduit for drawing liquid from the preheater and effecting compression within the superheater, and means for maintaining pressure on the oil and the vapors formed .in the superheater.

2. The combination of a preheater, means to heat the same to a point just below the vaporizing temperature of contained oil or distillate, means to maintain the pressure therein at a relatively low point, a superheater, a conduit leading from the lower portion of the preheater to the superheater, means for heating the superheater to a relatively high temperature, a pump in said conduit for drawing liquid from the preheater and efi'ecting compression within the superheater,.means for maintaining pressure on the oil and the vapors formed in the superheater, and a return pipe leading from the discharge end of said superheater to the preheater.

3. The combination of a preheater, means to heat the same to a point ust below the vaporizing temperature of contained oil or distillate, means to maintain the pressure therein at a relatively low point, a superheater, a conduit leading from the lower portion of the heater to the superheater, a pump in said conduit operable to draw contents from the heater and compress contents of the superheater, an expansion tank con- 20 nected with the superheater, a condenser connected with the expansion tank and means for maintaining pressure in the superheater.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

FRANK E. WELLMAN. 

